“Do you mean beautiful?”
“Well—what do you think?”
“I don’t quite think of her as a woman.”
“Silly stuff—”
“No, truly. Most women you sense. They either try to use their sex to allure or impress you or else they repress it for any one of a dozen reasons. She—somehow seems to lack it.”
“It’s not so easy as that, Jerrold, you phrase-maker. I’ve known her a long while and I have no idea whether she’s in love, has been in love, yearns after or fights against it. You guess boldly, but probably not well.”
“Maybe not. You must tell me if I am right and you find it out.”
There was a sound of motors in the drive outside, then high pitched voices, and Mrs. Brownley went out into the hall.
“Isn’t this early for the youngsters?” asked Gage.
They all laughed but though the conversation went on as before, an anticipation rested on them all. Against the background of the chattering voices in the hall, they seemed a little subdued, waiting.